Though this may save time for many F train riders in Brooklyn, it does cut trains by 50% for those in Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill and Gowanus since no new trains will be added to the line. This seems like a poorly thought out plan given the fact that ridership along the Bergen Street, Carroll Street, Smith Street/ 9th Street and 4th Avenue stations has steadily increased over the past few years.
To make people in the neighborhood more aware of these changes, Carroll Gardener Erin Lippincott, who, together with her husband, has set up a Don't Cut Local F web site. She is also petitioning the MTA Board not to make the cuts.
Erin's goal is "to build a voice and the support of our political reps as well as let all of the residents and groups across the affected residents know what's at risk."
From the Don't Cut Local F web site:
The MTA proposes to decrease local F Train service by 50% during peak hours at the Bergen St, Carroll St, Smith-9 St, 4 Av-9 St, 15 St-Prospect Park, and Fort Hamilton Pkwy stations as part of a plan to revive the F-Express service. These cuts would seriously harm the residents and businesses along this busy subway corridor and are scheduled to be implemented in 2017.
We support reviving the F Express Train—but not at the expense of the many thousands in Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Columbia Waterfront, Red Hook, Park Slope, and Windsor Terrace who rely on the F train daily. Some of these stations (Bergen and Carroll St stations) are are among the busiest on the F line. They are already crowded at peak hours and, with large-scale residential developments underway, it promises to get worse. In Gowanus a new 12-story apartment complex alone will soon add 700 market-rate and affordable rental units just two blocks from the Carroll St. station. Then there is the fact that cuts to the local F will further isolate the already under-served neighborhoods of Red Hook and the Columbia Waterfront. Red Hook is home to the 2nd largest public housing development in NYC and the Smith-9 St station is the sole subway link for those residents. These cuts will be a big blow.
Please sign the petition here and tell MTA Board Members: No cuts to local F Train service in Brooklyn!
Get involved by contacting our elected officials here.
And learn more about the issue on Don't Cut Local F.
And learn more about the issue on Don't Cut Local F.
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21 comments:
Will something in this petition turn Brad Lander into a better politician than David Greenfield?
The taste we've been getting recently of reduced service and skipped stops is bitter indeed. Please sign!
Ever since they started doing this over the summer they've really made a mess of it. Now evening trains that go express don't tell you until you get to Jay St forcing most people off. For some reason a lot of these trains are only going as far as Church Ave too. That seems to completely negate running the train express if you take it beyond Church St because you'll just have to wait at the station for a local to come.
I don't mind this because most people I know live South of park Slope along the F line. We in the Smith Street area already have an advantage by being much closer to Manhattan. We can stand walking to Jay St if necessary or waiting another 4 minutes. I live in CSWD and yet I avoid the F in rush hours like the plague already and instead walk farther to Borough Hall. Ideally they would increase the frequency and make the express trains the extra ones. But MTA does not have the capital for that. We can petition our state reps to get MTA more money instead. That would acutely make a difference.
MP, you said that "We in the Smith Street area already have an advantage by being much closer to Manhattan. We can stand walking to Jay St if necessary or waiting another 4 minutes." Speak for yourself. I chose to live in Carroll Gardens because of the close proximity to Manhattan and for that reason I pay a higher rent than if I lived in Windsor Terrace, Kensington and Coney Island. I sympathize with those that have a longer commute but I don't think it is fair that service will be reduced to the Carroll Street and Bergen Street stops because we are closer to Manhattan. Getting on the train in the morning is a struggle because the train is already crowded by the time it reaches us. Ever since the MTA started running some trains on the express track it has gotten worse. Coming home one night the F train I was on went express without announcing it. It wasn't a case of not paying attention because the other riders in my car were as confused as I was and had to get off at 4th Avenue take a Manhattan bound train back.
I've heard this F-train Express exercise is a prequel to F-train Sandy-related tunnel repair (a la L-train). Has anyone heard anything similar?
It's puzzling that they're running the test in July when students/teachers/admins aren't commuting everyday. This is going to be a disaster in September.
I also don't understand why the BK bound trains in the evening aren't being announced more clearly. It's chaos at Jay Street in the evening.
If the F tunnel closes for repairs, the F will simply run on the A/C line into Manhattan, so this as a prequel doesn't make sense as it has nothing to do with that section of the line. This is about Greenfield & constituents versus Lander & constituents.
@ MP, a 20 - 30 minute walk to Jay Street isn't a realistic option for most people.
MP, that's a very presumptuous and selfish statement you've written. You DON'T speak for the entire neighborhood. Perhaps you can walk to Jay st with no problem. Well, there are other people who can't. Not all are healthy or young enough. What about the people with disabilities or aliments in which convenience to running public transportation is a necessity to them. This is going to be a major inconvenience to people and it is not right nor fair that it is happening just because we live closer to Manhattan. We should not accept it and fight it the best we can.
To: MP - Your statement works for you and perhaps a few other younger/healthier riders. You also made your comment on July 5th. My question is: How was your "Short Walk to Jay Street" on July 6th when it was already 82 degrees or how will your walk home be when the 'real feel temp.' is 101?
In General: I wouldn't mind as much if every third or fourth train ran express, but every other is way too much. What makes it worse is when you come home and it runs express (I heard it announced both times it happened to me)I didn't mind - too much - riding the extra stops to come back to Carroll Street. HOWEVER, when the train going back is an express also, it just adds insults to injury.
To Anon - 4:39 p/m you hit the nail right on the head. The MTA is running their little experiment while school is out. When the Fall arrives it will be an even bigger mess!
Wish I was MP and could choose the days and hours I work. What profession? Seriously, I want to learn. More realistically I am bound to commuting during rush hour. One things for sure, the rents finally hit a ceiling for the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill. Boerum Hill seems to still be creeping up. Once this is implemented, demand for apartments will go down all along the Court/Smith/Henry St corridors and streets in between along with the prices. So that 1 BDR apartment that I rented only 3 years ago that was $1,800 that is now $2,400, will settle closer to between $2,000 and $2,200. The influx of people moving into the neighborhood from Manhattan has slowed drastically. I've noticed a lot of people moving out and lots of vacant apartments since the Manhattenization of South Brooklyn. You want every chain bank and designer eye wear stores instead of mom & pop eateries? Choo got it! Just move to Carroll Gardens. It's just a matter of time before Burger King Express takes over Brucies's location. Bottom line: Less train service = lower rent.
It's hard to tell but there ARE seniors living in CG! I'm sure by the time people like MP get old/disabled they'll all move back to pennsystucky !
It would absolutely be better if they ran more trains. That is the bottom line. I lived closer to a mid Brooklyn express F stop until 5 years ago and took it to school daily. Would have loved express then. I get that there is more population in BoCoCa nowadays and that MTA should not just randomly change service for the worse. I wish there was more money for MTA though and I think it would benefit all Brooklynites, not just these neighborhoods, more if we put our energy into lobbying for that in addition to simply complaining about this service change that may or may not happen permanently.
I understand not everyone can walk far. That's a given. But for those who can, walking there may be faster than waiting for the next super crowded 2 or 3 F trains. The 61 bus also goes there. I know it's not the best either of course.. I am lucky not to need to go to Midtown on a daily basis, so I can avoid the F most days in favor of the number trains. They are far superior because there's more than one per line and they have timers. I do feel bad more for the southerly F commuters for whom it takes an eternity to get to Manhattan.
I work 10 hours a day 5 days a week just like most people. I commute during rush hour but only on the 234 or 5 because I'm lucky and work downtown. Anyway, lower rents is probably not guaranteed consequence of less F service, but most people would not mind it..
I'm from here. When I'm old I'll be thrilled if I can still walk a lot. If not I'd be stuck on the buses like most people. It's slow but it'll get you somewhere eventually.
"actually"
Ugh, MP. You're from here and you call this area BoCoCa? I'd insert one of those eye rolling emojis right now if it were possible.
Also, you are missing the fact that most physically disabled people already cannot walk up and down subway steps and therefore do not take the subways to begin with. It's not a huge disabled population that would be affected by this. Not even a small one.. I hope MTA will study it, though, regardless of who and where it may affect most.
I'm from Flatbush. Moved here in adulthood. I know real estate agents made up these dumb acronyms but it's convenient to refer to all the areas, like Dumbo etc. Oh well.
We have to let the testing run its course and see the results. I have lived in this area for years and have heard a lot of dire predictions that have not come to pass. In fact, none of them have been problems; not Ikea, not Whole Foods, not Costco. None, they have all enhanced our community. This should net out to be a good thing for CG. The local trains will arrive less crowed, and we will only have to wait an additional minute or two. I would rather wait for a less crowed train; and we have to do that anyway when a train is so full that you cannot get on. This is a typical NIMBY situation; an affluent area like CG does not want to give up something to benefit the larger community, like less affluent Sunset Park and Bay Ridge and Coney Island. What about them, they could use a break too. The other issue about adding trains is that the line is maxed out for the number of trains operating during rush hour - the MTA cannot safely add more trains. the only problem I see is that 4th Ave. should be an express stop because of the R train connection, but there is no express platform; so I can see why they can't. I am surprised that no one is posting in favor of this plan.
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